These super fluffy pancakes are sure to be a showstopper at your next brunch party! This recipe is quick, easy, and doesn’t require any buttermilk!
This post is all about teaching you how to make thick, airy pancakes without the need for special equipment or buttermilk. And while there is a recipe, I urge you to read through the entire post – the truth of it is, making wondrous pancakes is very do-able however, there is some knowledge and technique involved!
Don’t worry…it’s not going to feel like you’re stuck in chemistry class. It’s just some basic tips and explanations that often get overlooked when it comes to making pancakes at home.
Jump to:
Life is all about yummy fluffy pancakes.
Admit it, a world without pancakes would be bleak, maybe not even worth living in. You love pancakes, don’t you? You do. It’s okay, I do too. My favourite thing about pancakes (other than eating them, of course!) is watching maple syrup drip off the edges of my pancake tower, like some sort of sun-kissed waterfall.
Fluffy pancakes are one of my all-time favourite Sunday morning breakfast treats. The problem is that a lot of great pancake recipes call for buttermilk. (Honestly, who keeps buttermilk at home? Is that a North American thing?)
Without it, you can end up with a flat, lifeless pancake that looks too much like a lost crepe. Here’s a quick and easy recipe to make super fluffy pancakes with ingredients you probably already have at home. Never buy that horrid box of premix again. Please.
Can you make Fluffy Pancakes without buttermilk?
In short, yes. This pancake recipe uses no buttermilk at all (it does require regular milk though). So, you may ask, what’s the deal with buttermilk? Well, it’s terribly in vogue when it comes to baking. And there’s a reason for it. The acidity in buttermilk helps the pancakes rise.
On the flip side, I’ve never known anyone to regularly stock up on buttermilk. In fact, until I moved to Canada, I had never even seen buttermilk… not even at a supermarket!
(If you’re ever in a real pinch – you can create your own buttermilk alternative by mixing a cup of milk with a tablespoon of white vinegar and letting it sit for 10 minutes. Perhaps less conventionally, you could also use a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice instead of vinegar. Neither option tastes as good as the real thing, but they’ll do the trick. Thankfully, with this recipe – you won’t need to!)
Now, if you do happen to have buttermilk, you can give this Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes recipe a shot!
Why are my pancakes flat? How can I make my pancakes fluffier?
There are a number of factors that can lead to your pancakes being flat. But here are the four horsemen of the pancake apocalypse (pancalypse…panpocalypse…pancakalypse…help):
- Overmixing your batter – overmixing your pancake batter will deflate a lot of the air bubbles in your batter, making it difficult for your pancakes to rise into the light and fluffy pancakes you want (the video in my recipe section is an example of this!). Secondly, it’ll develop gluten. And too much gluten will result in a tough, chewy pancake.
- Stale Baking Powder – baking powder typically has a shelf life of 9 months to a year. To check whether your baking powder is still fresh, simply stir half a teaspoon of baking powder into a cup of water. If you see an immediate reaction (it’ll fizz up, bestie!), then it’s still good to use. If not, you should consider replacing it.
- Humid Conditions – This is based on an observation made by many of my readers (you can see it mentioned in the comments section below). But a very humid kitchen results in a runnier batter, which means less fluffy pancakes. If you happen to be in a place that is very humid, try putting your batter in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to make sure it doesn’t become too fluid/runny.
- Not Letting Your Batter Rest – Letting your batter rest before cooking allows the starch granules in the flour to expand resulting in an airier pancake.
- The Violent Flip – Turn the pancakes over gently. Flipping them high into the air results in the air literally being squished out of them!
Also…make sure to relax, bestie. Making pancakes should be a pleasurable experience! And this fluffy pancake recipe is simple; it doesn’t require any fancy steps (like whipping egg whites into a meringue). Be mindful of the tips above, and pay attention to your heat management, and you’re sure to be fine.
(If you want to do a little reading, check out my How to Read a Recipe Post – it’ll help you understand the procedures and the measurements used in a recipe post, like this one!)
Of course, if you do end up burning your first pancake, just remember what they say: “Le première crepe est pour les chiens!” (A French saying meaning, “The first crepe is for the dogs!”).
How to make fluffy pancakes with pancake mix
While this post is really about homemade pancakes without buttermilk, a lot of readers have asked me if it’s possible to make fluffy pancakes using pancake mix. The answer is…yes! Absolutely.
Generally speaking, I find buttermilk pancake mixes are better for this. What you want to make sure is that you follow the recipe on the box exactly, and also keep the tips mentioned above in mind.
Getting fuller pancakes is just as much about technique as it is about components, and if you go rogue on either thing, it becomes just that much harder to get that perfect result!
Storage instructions
Though they are best served fresh and warm, these pancakes can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Store your maple syrup separately (and not on top of the pancakes), so that it doesn’t soak through.
Other no-buttermilk pancake recipes
Here are four other amazing pancake recipes that don’t require any buttermilk at all. Each one is unique, and delicious!
- Lemon Mascarpone Pancakes – perfect for days when you’re looking to impress with an elegant pancake recipe.
- Strawberry Cheesecake Pancakes – this is the pancake you serve when you want everyone to spend the first 5 minutes of the meal taking photos of the food.
- Dutch Baby Pancake – a pancake with a twist! Quick and simple to make.
- Fluffy Japanese Pancakes – taking a bite out of these meringue-based babies is like eating a delicious cloud! (Yes, they spark joy.)
Fluffy Pancakes, Updated: What’s Changed?
If you’ve been visiting my blog for a while, you may realise that this is a republished version of one of my very early blog posts (also titled, “Fluffy, Fluffy Pancakes”, originally published: February 17th 2015). I’ve updated the post quite significantly.
While the recipe is the same great pancake recipe it’s always been, I’ve rewritten the post with the aims of addressing some of the major questions I’ve received from commenters over the last few years. If there’s anything you feel is still missing, please do let me know with a comment below.
I’ve also done my best to create a clearer, more readable post, while maintaining the gist and the feel of the original. (The original post was written quite some time back, it was mostly me rambling about how much I love pancakes!)
Helpful tools
Heads up! The following is an affiliate link. If you buy something using the link, I will receive a small commission. You won’t need to pay a penny more, but it’ll help keep my lights on! Thank you bestie, you rock!
Luckily, it doesn’t take much equipment to make perfect pancakes. It is however a lovely feeling to have all the right equipment. Here are a few little things that might make your pancake-making experience just that much sweeter.
- Silver Dollar Pancake Pan – if you want your pancakes to all look exactly the same.
- Zwilling J.A. Henckels Marquina Non-Stick Frying Pan – a good pan is crucial to properly cooking pancakes, and this one is sure to please.
If you like what I’m doing here, and you want to help, why not go ahead and become a Patron? You can support Chocolates & Chai for as little as the price of a cup of coffee!
Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter for all the latest. Or just sign up to be a part of my mailing list to have updates delivered straight to your inbox!
📖 Recipe
Fluffy, Fluffy Pancakes
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 6–7 Pancakes 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A surefire recipe to make fat and fluffy pancakes, without any buttermilk or special ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 cup All-Purpose Flour, sifted
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- Pinch of Salt
- 2 tbsp White Sugar
- ¾ cup plus 2 tbsp Milk
- 1 Large Egg, beaten
- 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted
- 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
- Canola Oil (or any other vegetable oil), for cooking
Instructions
- Combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder into a bowl and mix well.
- In a separate bowl, mix the egg, milk, vanilla, and melted butter together. Be careful not to use hot, melted butter, as that may end up cooking your eggs!
- Pour the wet ingredient mixture into the dry ingredients and stir till mostly incorporated. The batter should be thick and a little lumpy, but without any visible streaks of flour. If it is too thick to work with, add a little milk. Set the batter aside for 5-10 minutes.
- Heat a heavy-bottomed, non-stick pan over a low-medium heat and coat it with oil. Use a ¼ cup measure to scoop and drop the batter into the pan so that you get evenly-sized pancakes.
- Cook until the first side is golden brown, or until the top surface forms bubbles. Flip and repeat on the other side. Adjust heat accordingly. Serve while still hot.
- Category: Breakfast & Brunch
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: fluffy pancakes, fluffy pancake recipe, fluffy pancake recipie, fluffy fluffy pancakes, fluffy pancake, pancake recipe, pancakes for two, no buttermilk pancake, no buttermilk pancakes, fluffiest pancake, fluffy pancakes рецепт
Very Very Fluffy, I love these pancakes so much, it’s my top recipe now. I also added chocolate chips for fun and it worked out great!
★★★★★
literally the best pancake recipe I’ve ever tried. I’m glad I did because they were amazing and the whole family loved it! I can’t believe how good these are.
★★★★★
Hubby said best pancakes he’s ever had….and he has had millions
Yaay! Thanks for letting me know, Beverley!
Hello, I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but I can’t figure out how to print it! This makes it very difficult to use because I like to look at a piece of paper while cooking. It looks good though
★
Hi Geneva, I used to have a print recipe button on the recipe card, but I removed it as it wasn’t used by too many people, and was being abused by recipe scrapers. In the meantime, it should still print if you select, and print the selection using your browser. Hope that helps,
Riz
Used water instead of milk because my youngest is allergic, and we added some homemade blueberry jam. They were a hit! Not a crumb left. My search for a pancake recipe my picky girls can and will eat is over!
★★★★★
Homemade blueberry jam sounds wonderful! So glad you enjoyed it!
Where are you in Canada that you can get buttermilk. North West Territories?
Great recipe !
These are the fluffiest pancakes I have ever made. I loved them and I have just decided I don’t want a birthday cake, instead I want birthday pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream
Birthday pancakes sound amazing!! Hope you have a happy birthday, Gab!
If I was to make a giant pancake (like the size of the pan) would I do it for longer on a lower heat or do you think it would be fine doing it the same as smaller ones.
Thanks
Hi Lanie,
I’ve not tried this personally…but I would opt for lowering the heat and cooking a little longer. Depending on the size of the pan, there may be a risk of the middle not cooking through very well though. Let me know if it works out!
Riz
They weren’t that fluffy for me, seemed to be lacking an ingredient, and dense. It could have been any number of factors affecting the fluffiness, but the taste was not that great. I’ll stick to my normal recipe….
★★
These did not work for me either. Flat and tasteless. I followed the directions and was very disappointed. There are much better recipes for fluffy pancakes out there.
Agreed. Mine were flat and disappointing.
Me too! I was looking for a fluffy recipe, but dense and flat. Didn’t have any amazing flavor like expected from reviews. Sorry I think this is a swing and a miss. I’ll be sticking to my old recipe and making some changes.
Where is the print button?
Hi MaryBeth, I used to have a print recipe button on the recipe card, but I removed it as it wasn’t used by too many people, and was being abused by recipe scrapers. In the meantime, it should still print if you select, and print the selection using your browser. Hope that helps,
Riz
Delicious and so fluffy!!
★★★★★
So happy you enjoyed it, Rosie!
They were so good !! Everyone loved them !! I loved making them !
So happy to hear it, Dhammika! Please do share a photo and tag on instagram @yamisohungry, I’d love to see how they turned out!
I love this pancake recipe. Yummy! Thank you for sharing.
★★★★★
Did not work at all for me
★
Possible chef error?
10 / 10 ! Best Food I Have Ever Made .
★★★★★
Yaay!
These are the best pancakes I have ever made. They truly are fluffy! Thanks for an amazing recipe!
★★★★★
SO good! This is our go-to plain pancake recipe now. My family requests them all the time 🙂
★★★★★
Even just by looking at it, you could tell that it is incredibly delicious.
—-
Angelica Aredidon
★★★★★
Best results every single time!
A huge Thank you!
★★★★★
You’re very welcome!
Third time making these, and the family agreed—no other pancake recipe will do from now on!
★★★★★
Yaay!!! Thank you for your lovely comment, Rachel!
This is my first time making them, i didn’t have a heavy bottom pan, i used a small normal one, they were a bit big, but they were so fluffyy!! Amazing, defiantly making them again!
Thank you!!
Evie <3
Yaay!
Best recipe to date! Life-saver for sharing this 🙂
★★★★★
YUM! these pancakes were fluffy, soft, and delish!!! They were so simple to make, it’s amazing!!! definitely going to be my go-to pancake recipe.
★★★★★
I made these pancakes this morning and the best pancakes I’ve ever had! So fluffy and thick! I am typing this comment as I’m eating breakfast because I love it! Sticking to this recipe for the rest of my life! 🙂
★★★★★
THE BEST TASTING, YUMMY, LIGHT PANCAKES I’VE EVER MADE! THANK YOU!!!
This is now my forever go to pancake recipe. Such a happy and yummy experience. 🙂
So happy to hear it, Char! Thank you for commenting!
Easy fluffy pancakes that everyone enjoyed. I also added chocolate chips to some of them as a treat for the little ones. It’s a keeper. Thanks for sharing
★★★★★
So happy to hear everyone enjoyed the pancakes so much!
Literally the worst pancakes ever. Back to joy of cooking recipe.
I’ve been using this recipe for years now and the family loves it.
I put the lid on before I flip it and it basically guarantees it cooks through and doesn’t burn 🤣
Nothing worse than undercooked pancakes that taste like baking powder….
★★★★★
Great tip, Ed! Thank you for commenting!
Followed directions exactly and not sure what happened. While very tasty they did not rise at all. Turned out more like crepes. Cooked on low/medium heat used a surface lazier to maintain a temperature of 300F.
Sifted all ingredients together after measuring, and all ingredients were fresh, purchased yesterday.
Only thing I can figure out is that the cook temperature needed to be raised to 350F
Thank you for the recipe and will try to make again.
★★★
Hi Dave! Thanks for your comment, I’m sorry to hear you had trouble – I’d recommend checking the Why are my pancakes flat? section to see if any of the points mentioned there ring true to you.Good luck! Riz
Amazing!
★★★★★
Not really a comment, but a question. Can these pancakes be made with just milk instead. Of buttermilk?
★★★★
Absolutely, these pancakes were tested to be made with milk (for instances when buttermilk is unavailable).
Very thick and filling! Definitely gives you the fluffy pancakes but I think the flavor is a little bland.
★★★★
Hello Riz, thank you so much for this recipe!! I have been trying to achieve fluffy pancakes for ages!! but -silly me-I was still using Bisquick(they promised me fluffy pancakes). interestingly, I forgot the 2 tablespoons(Tbsp) of milk you added to the 3/4 cup- but they came out fabulous. I made a second batch and remembered the 2 Tbsp milk and they were not as fluffy. could be because where I live has high humidity (I let both batches sit for 5 min). I also chose to replace the Tbsp sugar with Splenda in the second batch….. but that shouldn’t affect fluffiness, right? unless the sugar helps the baking powder in making them rise(as it works with yeast). Thanks again!! I am so happy I can now make fabulous Fluffy pancakes!!!!!!
Jenneveve
★★★★★
Thanks Jenneveve! I don’t think replacing the sugar with splenda would make much of a difference. I’d suggest trying without the extra 2 tbsp of milk, and see if that was the reason! 🙂
I make these almost every weekend (the others were waffle weekends 😆) and these are legit fluffy! I live in Asia where the humidity is through the roof so I appreciate the tip about humid conditions, thanks so much!
You’re so very welcome! Thank YOU for your comment.
The problem with these pancakes are that they are soooooo good. I am now permanently glued to the stove making them. Thanks for a wonderful recipe. I made them on saturday and I have to go and make another batch NOW!!!!
★★★★★
LOL! The struggle is real, Immelda!
Best fluffy pancake I have made to date!!
I have been on the hunt for the perfect easy fluffy pancake recipe. My picky daughter loooves it! Thank you!! Will be making this OFTEN.
★★★★★
That’s amazing, Gerie! So glad you both enjoy them!!! Hope to see you here again soon!
Best pancakes ever, they melt in your mouth. I just need to cut down on the baking sofa next time
★★★★★
these were honestly SO FREAKING GOOD. I had a huge craving for really fluffy pancakes and they did not disappoint! super fluffy and delicious, this is now my go to pancake recipe!
★★★★★
Yaaay! Thank you for commenting, I’m so glad you enjoyed them!